A Greater Force
by meetmeinspace
Summary: Following the deaths of the courageous Rogue One squadron, Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor are separated and reborn by the will of the Force. While attempting to make sense of their new life, their search for a true purpose collides with a need to rebel against the oppressive Galactic Empire.
1. Afterwards

Chapter 1: Afterwards

Those last few seconds felt like years. They gripped each other fiercely. Held together by hearts rapidly beating. Every inch of their bodies clinging to life and love and lost futures. Intense elation mingled with an overwhelming fear of death. And at those last moments Jyn thought of her parents, and then of the man she was holding. Someone she would know no longer. And the fear of not only losing her own life, but also losing his, was too much to bear.

Suddenly her emotions were no longer bound to her small, strong body but expanded into painless ether. Calm replaced anxiety as her mind began to exist in the spaces between things. She could no longer feel her beating heart. She could no longer sense the presence of Cassian. Yet something was pulling her. Guiding her somewhere with a force. The Force. They were calling her. And as soon as Jyn realized who she wanted to see most they were right in front of her. Existing as only bundles of emotional, unique energy, Jyn and her parents began to converse.

"I am so proud of you, my Stardust." Galen Erso imparted to Jyn. She could feel his strong emotion as if it had been her own.

"I knew you were tough Jyn. From the moment I first held you in my arms," said Lyra, pouring overwhelming love into every word.

"Papa! Mama! What am I doing here? I was…" Jyn trailed off, forgetting her place in this time.

"You have surpassed your mortal body Jyn. We exist now as just the soul and The Force" Galen continued, " You succeeded in making the first step towards balance in the galaxy."

Jyn could feel the closeness of her parents. She felt their longing and their comfort in being in each other's presence. But there was something else.

"Unfortunately your time with us will have to be delayed once more." Lyra expressed with sadness. "Your destiny in the galaxy has still not been fully realized. You must be reborn."

Jyn suddenly remembered living without her parents. Struggling when all she had was memories of their love. "How can you ask me to leave you? I don't want to be without you anymore."

Galen sighed, "My Stardust, don't you think we would rather have you stay? But that is not the will of The Force. You have been chosen to fulfill a destiny. To play a role in restoring balance."

"He is right Jyn." Another energy spoke, drawing nearer to the trio of spirits.

A moment passed and Jyn realized who it was: Chirrut Imwe, the believer.

"Chirrut! We…we won!" Jyn's spirit emboldened. She could remember the feelings of success yet nothing else. _This place is nice, comfortable,_ Jyn thought to herself.

"And we will see you here again Jyn, in time." Her father, mother, and Chirrut all imparted.

It was then that Jyn's energy flowed into something else, far away from this wonderful place and into a transitional dreamland. She was not scared. Images of her childhood flooded her unconscious mind. She saw herself gathering dirt samples with Papa and the feeling of holding her mother's hand. She would have stayed in this place forever if she could. But unfortunately she would have to wake up.


	2. Consciousness

Chapter 2: Consciousness

At some point Jyn started to feel. It started with the cool air slowly entering her throat and expanding her chest. Then she could hear it, her breaths mingled with a faint heartbeat of someone very much alive. And after some time she began to wonder what else she was hearing. Swooping whistles preceded soft hisses. Suddenly she came to a realization: she had heard this sound many times before. And in an instant all her senses came back to her. She could feel the weight of her body lying on something soft. And she was freezing.

Jyn opened her green eyes to a bright grey sky. She winced and turned her head to the side. Emerald grass swallowed her up and shielded her from the wind above. She could see the soft weeds that she had known so well. Realizing she had an arm to lift, she moved it to brush them. A natural tick moved her hand to her chest where the kyber crystal her mother gave her still remained. Anxiety filled her heart. She became more aware of her existence with every passing moment. After some time she couldn't stand the cold anymore and she sat up in the grass.

She expected to see it, yet was still taken aback by her childhood home. A couple hundred feet away sat a flat white house, stark against black sand hills. Shakily, she got up to her feet. She was well aware of her nakedness and wondering if anyone was watching she began to walk towards the house.

Jyn crossed through the weeds and over a few hundred feet of black sand to find the little cove where her front door was. After years of wind, most of it was filled with dirt. She stepped in, sinking up to her ankles in dust, looking for the door pad. At last she found it after 20 minutes of digging and regaining the strength in her arms.

As soon as she pressed the button, the door opened beside her. Jyn fell sideways into the home with a mountain of sand. Coughing, she got up to look around. It was exactly how Jyn and her family had left it 15 years earlier. To the left, the little room with the smallest bed for Jyn, to in front of her the kitchen and to the right her parents bedroom. A thin layer of dust covered everything. She would have stood there in shock if not for the door attempting to slam shut over and over again onto the thick sand. She turned and began to shovel as much as she could inside until finally the door could shut.

Panting and covered in black dirt, Jyn sat and leaned against the wall. She noticed her breathing slow, allowed her heart regulate and embraced the stillness. The wind outside blew small rocks into the thin windows making the cackling sounds that used to lull her to sleep as a small child. Jyn closed her eyes and before she knew it she was dreaming.

Jyn was running through grey, monochromatic halls to an end goal. What was it again? Oh yes, she needed the plans. The plans that Papa left for her. And she couldn't run fast enough. She reached the end of the hall and looked right to see Kaytoo opening a door. She rushed in, only to realize that there was no floor under her feet. She was falling and falling until she grabbed hold of the archive pillar. Holding on with the tips of her fingers Jyn looked to her left to see Cassian.

"Climb Jyn!" He yelled at her.

Feverishly she began to climb. She heard gunfire and looked up to see with hatred the man who ruined her life. Krennic laughed maniacally, shooting again. This time he hit Cassian in the shoulder, knocking him off the pillar.

"NO!" Jyn screamed as she lunged at him, grabbing Cassian's arm and landing hard on the ground. It calmed down. The lights along the shaft brightened and dimmed as the elevator descended. Jyn looked into Cassian's eyes, feeling comfort and safety in a small space. She hugged him tight. Pulling every inch of his body closer to hers so she didn't have to be alone anymore.

Suddenly there was a bright flash.

Jyn awoke with fear, coughing again against the side of her dusty home. She sat, crying in the dark for some time before she decided to pick herself up off the ground.

"Lights."

Flickering and dull, the lights above her turned on.

 _Miraculous. It would be even crazier if the shower still worked,_ Jyn thought as she walked over to the control panel on the far right wall. It seemed so much smaller than when she was a child. The panel lit up to her touch as she began to turn on various aspects of the house that had been in dormant mode. The air heater began to flow into the house at an instant, warming up her naked body and smelling of burnt rubber.

She walked past her parent's bedroom and into the quaint bathroom. Turning on the lights scared off a few critters and turning on the shower spray shooed off a few more. Jyn stepped into the shower, the cold water cleansing the dirt from her body and waking her up.

 _What am I doing here?_

Searching through the drawers in her parent's room she found a soft tunic, boots, and some of her mother's pants. Just what she expected, Jyn fit into them perfectly. She looked at her image in the mirror for the first time. Tired eyes gazed over a slight body nearly identical to Lyra's.

"Help me change the sheets dear." Jyn said, mimicking her mother's voice, "Yes Mama."

Jyn turned down the dusty sheets that occupied the bed and managed to put them through the wash cycle in the wall a few times before putting them back on. During the interim she attempted to clean up the area a little bit, but her efforts hardly put a dent in the fifteen-year-old layers of sediment.

She finally lay down in between the sheets – something she hadn't had in quite a while. Before joining the Resistance it was the imperial prison and before that was mostly the streets in trading outposts. The comfort was much deserved and quite confusing for her. But her existential crisis would have to wait until the morning as she drifted off to sleep once more.


	3. Parallel

Chapter 3: Parallel

Cassian Andor opened his eyes to see a young, dark-haired boy staring back at him with incredible fascination.

"He opened his eyes!" He yelled to someone on his left, "He's not dead!" The little boy ran off, apparently going to join a few of his other friends in the room next door.

Cassian craned his neck up to look at the rest of the room. It seemed to be a little apartment, with knickknacks scattered across the counters and tapestries lining the walls. He looked onto his own body to see that it was only covered with a small blanket. Confused, Cassian started to panic.

 _I was… Where was I? I was on Scarif. We got the plans. We went to the beach…_

"I died." He said out loud with certainty. Just then an old woman walked through the doorway carrying a tray of tea.

"Don't be silly." She cooed in the same accent, "You are not dead, my child."

"Where am I?" Cassian asked.

"You are home of course!" She laughed.

Cassian got up, still covering himself with the blanket as best he could.

"Home." He stated, still confused.

"Yes! I was pleased to hear that my baby had come home at last. I was out on my shopping trip to the market, like I do every day an hour after sunrise, and I returned here to see you sleeping in this bed and I shouted to Ritta next door, 'My Jeron has come home at last!' Here." The woman shoved the tea into Cassian's hands. "Drink, drink!"

Cassian put the cup to his lips, tasting a familiar elixir. The old woman raced out of the room shouting about cookies or something.

"Did you say Jeron?" he shouted after her, " Jeron Andor?"

"Yes dear that's you dear!"

"Jeron was my father."

She raced back in, shoving cookies into his hands.

"Jeron I have so much to show you. Let me get my holo-books." She raced off again, wobbling with extreme old age.

Cassian got off the bed, noticing a pile of clothing lain out on the chair next to him. He put them on quickly before the woman returned. Instead the little boy from before walked cautiously in, looking him up and down before saying, " I wouldn't listen to old Auntie Gnuba. She's crazy." He attempted to run off again.

"Wait, wait!" Cassian pleaded, "What planet is this?"

"Lothal." the boy shouted, running away.

So this _was_ his father's home.

Cassian stepped outside of the little apartment, seeing the bright Lothal sun for the first time. It was just as his father described it: close knit families living off the dry land and occasionally trading with the travellers who stopped by. Three more kids raced past his legs into Gnuba's apartment followed by a pregnant woman in her late twenties.

"Beri! Please! Where are you manners?" She shouted after the boy before turning to Cassian. "I am so sorry for this, my son thinks that he can just trample all over these streets with no consequences. Auntie Gnuba is too kind to him."

"That's alright." Cassian said with a smile.

"How do you know Gnuba?" The woman asked.

"Oh, uh… well she thinks I am my father, Jeron Andor."

"Jeron? Oh yeah, Jeron was my father's cousin. But he left over 30 years ago. Hey! That means we're cousins!" She shouted. "I'm Mel!" She thrust her hand out and her scarf fell off her head to reveal brunette locks. The resemblance between them was striking.

"Cassian." He replied shaking her hand. A man in his 30s joined them, he had blue eyes and his tan face was already showing many years of working under the sun.

"Nice to finally meet you Cassian. This is my husband, Laylen." Mel stated as they shook hands. "Cassian is staying with Gnuba. She is his grandson."

"Yes, yes I am." Cassian said, only realizing it then. Laylen seemed to accept this and added, "Shall we go in for some tea then?"


	4. Comfort

Chapter 4: Comfort

Jyn spent several weeks cleaning the Erso home. Although small, the fifteen years that had passed since anyone had even stepped foot in it created quite a job. This turned out to be the best for Jyn. The busyness allowed her to focus on scrubbing the shower or fixing the trash compactor instead of dwelling on all the people she'd lost. She would often use the control panel to put on old music and get lost in the soothing tones of Roia Star. The precious stuffed animals that Jyn made to keep her company as a child still sat in the little bed. She cleaned each one and organized them into ascending order.

Jyn quickly realized that the rations she was living off of in the kitchen were nearly making her sick. It was time to figure out this farming situation. After searching the house for some seeds and an instruction pad, she eventually planted a little garden outside. It was the winter solstice on Lah'mu and in a few months the spring would bring new crops. She turned to gathering the proper berries and mushrooms from the surrounding brush to get by until then. Much time was spent setting out traps that occasionally caught the rodents that inhabited the area. She ate well those days.

The workload made almost every night a heavy, dreamless sleep. It took almost three months, but eventually Jyn started dreaming again. Sometimes they were nice dreams, like ones that involved pleasant memories of her parents, and sometimes they were not. The pain that followed dreams of planets crushing around her and losing people who mattered to her was sometimes nauseating. She would wake up in a sweat with anxiety keeping her awake for hours.

What kept Jyn out of complete emotional turmoil were the good memories: of Chirrut believing in her about her father's message, of Bodhi defiantly naming their squad Rogue One, of Baze wishing her luck, and even of Kaytoo, always there with a clever retort. The most difficult memories were those of Cassian. Oddly enough, Jyn could feel that the others were gone, possibly a side effect of the force bringing her back. But Cassian didn't feel gone. She felt very close to him in many ways. Dreams of him reflected Jyn's desire to be held and loved. And when she woke up from these dreams she didn't feel anxious.

 _I'm just being irrational. He's dead, like all the others._

During the day Jyn tried not to think of the things that caused her pain. It became easier to ignore the heartbreak instead of bear with it. Easier said than done. Her mind would drift to think about the experience she had in death. With every passing day she forgot what it felt like to be in that state. The feelings left her, but the message stayed: she had a destiny.

 _They made a mistake. What am I supposed to do?_

It had now been 6 months since she was reborn on Lah'mu. On this particular day, Jyn was crouched down over her muru roots in her little garden, humming to herself, pleasantly surprised by the harvest. The recent storm had thankfully caused little damage to the crops.

"Yes!" Jyn cried as she lifted a particularly large bulb from the ground. She raised it up in exultation before noticing something else in her garden.

"Ahh!" She yelled, falling back onto the dirt.

Lyra Erso stood just a few feet from her, well not all of her. She was blue and translucent, consisting of no matter and occupying no space.

"For the record, you are a much better farmer than your father." Lyra said.

Jyn, still struggling to catch her breath, sat up to see her mother.

"Mama, what… what are you?" Jyn asked in shock.

"Well, the simplest way to put it would be a ghost. But even then that is a stretch."

"What are you doing here?" Jyn replied, almost frantic as she stood up.

"I am here to help you move on. You must take another step." Lyra said with a little regret. Jyn stood speechless, just staring at the ghost of her mother.

"If you boil that with some veral leaves it makes a great soup." Lyra said, pointing to Jyn's hand, still clutching the root.

"What? Oh, yeah. Thanks." Jyn almost laughed then. She looked at her mother's eyes, seeing the sadness and love in them, reality falling back around her.

"You have to go to Naboo." Lyra said finally.

Jyn nodded and looked down at her feet. When she looked back up her mother was gone.

Cassian spent his first few weeks helping out Gnuba around the house and learning of his father's childhood. Lothal was a planet in the outer rim territories. In the past few years it had been inhabited by the Empire, but mostly around the Capital City and the surrounding towns. Cassian's father was from Banthal, a small farming town far from the Capital specializing in grue wheat. The small population allowed for Cassian's arrival to be completely spread around within a day or so. This meant for a large influx of nosy neighbors.

"Yes Mrs. Truos, I loved the pie you baked me last week it was very good." Cassian replied to the old woman at Gnuba's front door. "Thank you, thank you." He shut the door and sat at the makeshift desk he put together in Gnuba's living room. It had been about a month since Cassian was reborn and already the boredom was getting to him. He had never had a day in his entire life where he wasn't on a mission or preparing for another one. He had just spent the last week gathering up all the radio equipment in the area to create a secure line to the Rebel Alliance. So far his efforts had been unsuccessful.

"Jeron, dear, where are my slippers?" Gnuba asked from the kitchen.

"They're warming up under the air-heater grandma." Cassian yelled back.

This was one thing that Cassian couldn't complain about living on Lothal. He finally had a family. A few days a week he would help Laylen out in the fields or Mel with the kids. Gnuba traveled slow but loved cooking for all who would share. He decided that going by Jeron would help him blend in a little more in the community.

Cassian eventually started working in the small market, trading some of Gnuba's useless knickknacks for parts. There he could converse with traders about galactic news. He befriended a Balosar named Mered who luckily frequented the market every week. Mered traded in mostly compressed gas canisters and the occasional part for Cassian's radio.

"Any decoding antennae for me today Mered?" Cassian asked on a particularly hot summer day on Lothal. It had been almost four months since his rebirth.

"No can do today Jer." Mered replied. "But," he leaned in to whisper, "I do have some news about the rebellion." Cassian leaned in. He could feel his heart beat quicken in anticipation.

"You know after they blew up that planet destroyer? Well I heard from my buddy that they've moved to Hoth." Mered said smugly.

"What?" Cassian replied, "They destroyed the Death Star?"

"Yeah Jer, that's old news!" Mered laughed. Cassian smiled, a million things rushing through his head.

"Thanks Mered, I've got to go." Cassian hit his shoulder and walked back in the direction of Gnuba's.

Since being reborn, Cassian took his existence with a grain of salt. It was a wonder that he didn't take the first ship out of Banthal to join the rebellion as soon as possible. It wasn't fear that stopped him from leaving. It was the same reason he disobeyed his orders to assassinate Galen Erso. Jyn.

Before meeting her he had never known what it felt like to care about anything. He lived apart from his emotions, apart from everything that told him to be afraid in the name of the rebellion. Even though Cassian was alone on Lothal, brought back by the force for some unexplainable reason, he still felt Jyn alive in him. Her courage and drive to do what was right kept him away from the Rebellion for now.

So he just stayed put.

Hearing the news of the major setback of the Empire brought him back to the questions he'd been ignoring for months. He sat on Gnuba's doorstep, watching Mel's kids play football on the dirt, thinking about Jyn. He longed to hold her, feel her heart beat against his chest. Remembering their last moments together brought him to the craziest of conclusions: she was alive. He had no idea what made him feel this way, nor did he know where to find her. But he had to start somewhere. He decided to start making preparations to leave Lothal.

That night, he headed over to Mel's to break the news. They had a delicious dinner prepared by Gnuba. Afterwards Cassian sat outside with Laylen watching the rising two moons.

"Did you find the parts you needed at the market today Cassian?" Laylen asked handing Cassian a grue beer. He was one of the only people that still called him Cassian.

"Unfortunately, no." Cassian replied. Laylen's question reminded him of the reason he wanted to talk to his family in the first place. A very pregnant Mel came over to sit next to them then, managing to plop herself into the little seat next to the front door.

" I swear this kid better be a girl because I cannot handle another rowdy boy." Mel said. She had been increasingly more uncomfortable in the last month.

"It will be a girl Mel, you'll see." Cassian said, putting a hand on her bump.

"What would we do without you Cassian?" Mel smiled and rubbed his hand.

"That's just it, I think I am going to leave Lothal soon. I have to… find someone." Cassian managed to say, almost painfully.

"Who is it you've got to find Cassian?" Laylen asked.

"Well, she –"

"Oh it's a SHE." Mel cried out, chuckling. "I thought you looked lonely Cassian."

"Do I?" He asked with a smile.

"Oh yeah." Laylen replied, "You just sit on Gnuba's doorstep staring into space. There've been many times where I walk past and say hi and you don't even notice." The three of them laughed in unison. Cassian was certainly going to miss this, warm nights and good company. It really did seem like the Empire was far away and there wasn't a care in the galaxy.

"Ah!" Mel gasped, "Shit. That better not have been a contraction I've had the longest day already."

It was a contraction and Laylen knew the drill. By midmorning Laylen and Mel had welcomed a new baby girl into their household. Cassian was playing outside with Beri and Jon who were waiting patiently for their new sibling.

"Kids! Come on inside! Meet your new baby sister!" Gnuba yelled from the apartment.

Cassian joined Laylen and sat by Mel's side to look at the little person in her arms.

"What are you going to name her?" Jon asked, jumping over his big brother for a look.

Mel looked at Laylen and back at her little girl, "Cassie."


	5. Goodbye

Chapter 5: Goodbye

Jyn spent about a week fixing her family's old speeder. The thing was already decades old by the time the Erso's bought it from a trader fifteen years earlier. Its max speed was at least fast enough to get Jyn to the nearest town where she could catch a ride off Lah'mu. Her last night of sleep in her parent's bed was a restless one, anxious for the trip she would have to make to Naboo. Waking up before the sun, Jyn put on the charcoal that gave her strength around her eyes. She gathered up the rest of the things she could fit into a backpack and stood in the living room.

"Goodbye." Jyn whispered as she put the house in dormant mode and went outside. She looked up to see the rings of her planet brightening in the early morning sky. Dropping her backpack in the front seat she climbed in and turned on the speeder. Glimpsing her grey house for one last time before setting off for It'ka.

It was easy to trade the speeder and the leftover crops for a ride off Lah'mu. Jyn met a trader named Nu who, although quite eccentric, seemed trustworthy. He was headed to a trading port on Sullust where she could catch another ride.

"How did you end up on this hunk of rock?" Nu asked Jyn as soon as they took off into space.

"Huh?" Jyn replied.

Nu specified, "Lah'mu. It's so boring there! I would kill myself if I had to spend even a week on that planet. Ha!"

"Oh, I was testing the soil." Jyn replied quickly.

 _Great job Jyn._

"Ah a scientist are we? That sounds interesting." Said Nu.

"Yep."

It was going to be a long ride.

Sullust was a planet of lava and mining. Its barren landscape only habitable to a vast, underground population. Jyn stepped off the ship into the bustling marketplace. Clutching her backpack, she thanked Nu and rushed off to find a captain to take her to Naboo. She luckily had some valuable items to trade: some more crops and some parts from the irrigation system that could be useful to traders in the area.

Sometimes the best way to find someone to take her was the bars. She walked up to one with neon signs flashing and showing pictures of drinks. Sitting down next to a woman with a scarf on, Jyn ordered a drink and waited.

"Traveling?" The woman asked. She was a Mirialan, with dark tattoo-like marks on her chin and cheeks.

"Yeah, I'm trying to get to Naboo." Jyn said with confidence.

"Ah, you're in luck. I can stop there." The woman said, "I'm Nedra. I trade in graneth parts."

"Oh, I don't have any of those. But I do have muru root and retrifrical fluid parts." Jyn replied, hoping that was enough.

Nedra nodded. She looked around. "Have you noticed all the Alderaanians? They decided to come here after the destruction of their planet of all places.

 _Their planet was destroyed?_ Jyn suddenly felt horrible. _Had Rogue One not been successful?_

"At least the Rebellion blew up the damn thing that did it. Cheers!" Nedra grabbed her glass and clinked it with Jyn's, still sitting on the bar.

 _So it was destroyed._ Jyn suddenly felt better, yet still sorry for the people of Alderaan. She took a gulp of her drink.

"I'll take you to Naboo." Nedra said, "Anyone who can take a shot of Sul water is good in my book."

"Thanks." Said Jyn, "When do we leave?"

"In a few hours. I've just got to pick up some more cargo." Nedra's cargo was in fact more people who all had to squish to fit into her little ship. Jyn stood next to a large Besalisk, whose four arms took up most of the space between Jyn and the door. At least if Nedra was planning to sell them as slaves this guy wouldn't be anywhere to be found. Jyn gazed out the window seeing the blue streaks of hyperspace drift past soothingly.

"You will find what you are looking for in Naboo Jyn." Her father's voice said to her as she drifted off to sleep.


	6. Looking

Chapter 6: Looking

Cassian left Banthal a week after Cassie was born. Gnuba threw them a joint welcome and goodbye party, an uncomfortable endeavor for both Cassian and the baby. After many toasts, kisses and goodbyes he left with Mered on a cargo ship. The first stop was Aleen, a rocky, Mid Rim planet with friendly natives. Much to his surprise they were all around 3 feet tall.

The initial push from The Force that made Cassian leave Lothal was now replaced with a genuine confusion. The week leading up to him leaving was spent meditating on Jyn and trying to get a sense of where she was. He was looking for clues of her surroundings but instead he got emotions. One afternoon while meditating on Aleen, despair overcame him suddenly and he was reminded of the losses they both shared. Aside from bursts of emotions, Cassian became more and more unsure of the path he was to follow.

Six months later on Coruscant, Cassian sat outside a skyscraper watching the thousands of small ships flying by in a daze. The rhythm was almost musical, reminding Cassian of sitting in the Banthal bar with Laylen and listening to the same two songs over and over again. Lost in thought, Cassian jumped when Mered returned from trading and hit him on the back.

"Ha! I never get frightened on account of the antennae." Mered teased pointing at the two extremities on his head.

"That." Cassian replied, "Is a load of bullshit. I was there when you met that Brezak on Florrum."

"He was going to bite my head off." Mered bellowed.

"That's not an excuse." Cassian said laughing with him.

"Hey I've got a surprise for you." Mered said, "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To meet someone."

This someone was in fact a rebel pilot; the same one Mered was getting his information from before. After a hushed conversation in a loud bar, Cassian learned that the rebels had recently settled on Hoth, a cold ice planet in the Outer Rim. The pilot offered to take him there after confirming Cassian's involvement with them prior to the battle of Scarif.

"Give me twenty minutes and I'll give you an answer." Cassian told the pilot before he walked out to the busy street. Mered ran after him.

"Jeron! What's up? I thought you wanted to find the rebellion?"

Cassian had a pit in his stomach.

"Where are you headed after Coruscant?" he asked, somehow knowing the answer before Mered even said it.

"Naboo."


	7. Convergence

Chapter 7: Convergence

Jyn woke up to her comm beeping that someone needed to reach her. Climbing out of her bed she walked a few steps to her kitchenette's countertop and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Elia, I need you to trail someone for me."

"What information do you have?"

"His name is Ved Cortoo." A holo-image appeared on the device showing a particularly unfriendly looking man with a large blue head, "He's known to be in cahoots with former senate member Orn Free Taa. Last known whereabouts: Daamoren's Cantina."

"Got it. I will report back with his activities."

The transmission ended and Jyn began her normal morning routine of changing into pants and a draped top, making some polak toast for breakfast, and briefly praying with her kyber crystal before briskly walking to the cantina. Theed was a beautiful, bustling city with a Royal Palace overlooking sea cliffs. Most of the buildings were made from the same taupe rock and had rounded green roofs. It was unlike any other place Jyn had ever visited; it was relatively clean. Of course, Theed did have its particularly shady areas, notably one on the north side that held a place called Daamoren's Cantina.

Jyn kept her hood up as she sat down in the corner of the cantina and waited for Cortoo. After waiting for an hour she suddenly had a strong desire to leave.

 _Why am I anxious? He hasn't even showed himself yet._

At that moment Cassian stepped off a cargo ship that had just landed on the other side of Theed. Clutching his backpack, he and Mered walked to the nearest waterfall and gazed at it.

"I'll never get tired of this place. It's so grand! I wish we had more than a few hours here." Mered exclaimed, "Feel like a real aristocrat eh?" Cassian remained silent. "What's wrong buddy? Made the right choice?" Mered asked, genuine concern in his voice.

Cassian nodded. "I hope so," he said, still uneasy. "Lets take a look around."

The two men walked around the marketplace, visited Queen Yram's Needle and the Palace Plaza, the main tourist attraction. Cassian was hoping for something to click inside of him that told him Jyn was here, but it didn't come. At last he settled on meditating next to a fountain while Mered dealt with some business nearby. He thought of Jyn; her full lips and troubled stare while being interrogated by the Rebellion brought him to a time when he was merely a soldier. He recalled her defiant look and slight smile, something that he had been longing to see again for almost a year now.

 _"I'm not used to people sticking around when things go bad."_

 _"Welcome home."_

Jyn finally saw the blue-headed alien she was waiting for enter the cantina and meet up with a man wearing a lot of jewelry sitting by the door. They shook hands and exited. She followed the men outside to the crowded street. The sun was high in the sky, nearly blinding Jyn from finding the pair. At last she spotted them, walking down an alley going southwest toward the main canal. They walked for sometime before stopping to converse. Jyn watched the men intently from behind a fountain.

Cassian Andor sat at that same fountain, meditating on the opposite side. His eyes were closed and attempting to focus on someone who was much nearer than he knew.

Jyn watched as the men in the alley appeared to be having a disagreement, hushed tones turning quickly into yells. Cassian opened his eyes to look at the disruption. Being nearer to the palace caused a security officer to notice the altercation. Cortoo and the jeweled man split, going off in different directions unexpectedly. Jyn bolted after him, and Cassian saw her.

"Jyn?" he said, watching her run off. Barely having time to grasp the situation, he chased after her, running through the alley and into a crowded market. Pushing through the citizens, Cassian almost lost her, his heart beating hard and fast. The thought of losing this woman now was frightening. The adrenaline pulsing through Jyn was mirrored in the man following behind her. She broke through the crowd and into another alley. The blue-headed man reached the end before her and by the time she reached it he was gone.

"JYN!" Cassian yelled before she reached the end. Jyn stopped then, hearing her name spoken by someone who knew who she really was. Cassian breathed heavily, staying put at the opposite end of the alley. Jyn heard the voice she had been imagining for months in her head. She stood in disbelief before slowly turning around to face Cassian Andor. He watched as the reality washed over Jyn's beautiful face: from confusion and sadness to strength.

"Are you real?" She asked, voice shaking through.

He stared for a few moments before replying.

"Yes."

The two looked into each other's eyes. Once separated by the ends of the galaxy they now stood only 10 feet apart. A few moments passed before both could feel their feet walking toward the other. Their speed increased exponentially as they closed the gap between them to embrace. Jyn felt as if she couldn't hold him tight enough despite the air compressing in her lungs as she pressed against Cassian. She began to sob, rocking her entire being and bringing their emotional bodies to their knees. Cassian wept too, tears flowing down his face in despair mingled with exaltation. After a moment the two broke apart to look at each other once more. Cassian wiped the tears from Jyn's eyes as they analyzed every facet of what they missed.

"How are we alive?" Jyn muttered through her cries.

"I don't know." Cassian said, putting his forehead to hers. After a while their heartbeats slowed and emotions cooled down. The two separated and sniffled. The momentary lightheartedness manifested in little laughs while they held each other.

"Come on." Jyn said, turning and walking out of the alley. Cassian followed closely, watching Jyn's brown hair flowing in front of him. Today she had two loose braids in the front that joined a bun in the back. She led them to a small stone cove on the edge of the flowing canal. Jyn turned to face Cassian. The sun lit up her hair creating a halo around her angelic face. The two sat down on the edge of the canal.

"Where did you wake up?" Cassian asked.

"Lah'mu. I wasn't born there, but it was the only place I ever felt happy as a child."

"Were you alone?"

Jyn nodded, "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Then why did you leave?" Cassian felt he knew the answer.

"Well this is going to sound ridiculous, but what isn't anymore?" Jyn continued, "My mother told me to come here."

"Your mother? Isn't she…?"

"Dead? Yes. But she showed herself to me as a ghost." Cassian looked confused but intrigued. "She was blue and translucent. I was gardening and when I looked up she was there and she told me to come to Naboo."

"I believe you." Cassian took her hand between his. Jyn sat quiet for a bit, feeling the warmth of his hands against her own, the calloused palms of labor massaging her skin.

"Where did you wake up?" She asked finally.

"My father's hometown on Lothal. In my grandmother's house." Cassian said, looking at the water and missing his family.

"Wow."

"Yeah, Gnuba is her name. She's amazing. I met my cousins there too. It's a small farming community. Very rural and peaceful."

"Did you like that?"

"I felt like everything was falling into place there, but it was not quite perfect."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone was missing." He told her bluntly. "At first I tried not to think too much about my situation and why I was feeling this growing unease. But after several months of meditating I realized that the person I was missing was you."

Jyn turned away and looked down into the water. The glistening ripples brought her back to that fateful day on the beach and she closed her eyes tightly.

"Jyn?"

"I could feel, on some level, that you were alive too." She said, eyes still closed. "But that was the only semi-tangible thing I can discern after waking up." Looking at Cassian again she asked, "Do you remember anything about where you went after you died?"

"I get senses of being apart from my body. My father telling me that I had a destiny. And that's it."

"It's the same for me, with my parents. And Chirrut!" Jyn said, with excitement in her voice.

"Chirrut? The blind Jedi?" Cassian asked, smiling.

"He wasn't a Jedi." Jyn said, laughing back. "He was one with The Force, and now _we_ are one with The Force."

"Jeron!" Said Cassian's pocket.

"Oh shit, Mered." He said, digging the communicator out of his pocket. "Yes?"

"I got those converters, lets meet in the square and then we can head out of here." Mered replied.

"Yeah I'll see you there." Cassian said as he stood up. Jyn looked interested. "He's a friend."


	8. Realize

Chapter 8: Realize

Naboo was technically under Imperial rule. Stormtroopers occasionally traversed the streets, but the home of Emperor Palpatine was kept quite safe. The planet may have been part of the Empire, but most citizens didn't feel this way. There was a secret network of rebels hidden underneath.

On this day there seemed to be abnormally numerous Stormtroopers walking around, possibly because of the recent news of the Imperial weapons station.

"They've lost it." Mered said to Jyn and Cassian while they sat in the square. "Cymoon 1 is now completely overrun. Rebel victory!"

"Be careful with your words around here Mered, you never know who's listening." Cassian relayed to his friend.

"It's alright, the security here is aware of the way we feel about them." Jyn said to the pair. "No one is happy."

"Well Jer, it is almost time for me to depart. I assume you're not coming with." Mered said this with a nonchalance that was definitely hiding his sadness.

"No, I'm not." Cassian replied looking at Jyn. After a moment he put a hand on Mered's shoulder and added, "I will miss you, brother."

Mered looked at Cassian and smiled. He hugged Cassian quickly, but firmly. "May The Force be with you both." He said, and exited the square to catch a ship.

Cassian watched him go and then looked at Jyn before asking, "So, what now?"

The pair walked the streets of Theed, not daring to step more than a foot away from each other. If they did there was an uncomfortable feeling that fell between them. Eventually they made their way to Jyn's little apartment a few blocks away from the palace.

"Is this your place?" Cassian asked, impressed.

"Yes." Jyn replied standing at her door. "I suppose you could come inside." She added feeling nervous. The obvious attraction they felt towards one another was growing.

They stepped inside. "How—" Cassian started.

"I saved the Queen's life." Jyn said blatantly. "So she gave me a job as her personal spy and I got a place to live.

"Well that's a good deal." Cassian replied, still standing next to the closed door.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jyn asked.

"Oh, uh yeah." Cassian replied, a little awkwardly. Jyn poured him some water in a small glass. "I like your place." He said, walking from the kitchen into the small bedroom. Jyn followed him, watching him walk through her room in disbelief.

"What is it?" Cassian asked, noticing her uneasiness.

"I… I still can't believe you're here." Jyn said to Cassian, nearly shaking. "Often I can't believe I'm here."

Cassian set down his water and moved closer to her. "I am here. You are here." He cupped her cheek with his hand. Jyn could feel her heart beating faster and her breath getting shorter. She gazed into Cassian's dark eyes, relieved to see someone who truly saw her looking back. Even though they had only spent a few days together in their previous life, a strong bond had formed between them. And it was even greater now.

Jyn found herself getting closer and closer to Cassian. She pressed herself against him, kissing him lightly on the cheek before pulling back to face him again. Cassian wasted no time, kissing her lips urgently. The earnestness of the kiss forced them to step back. Cassian brought his hands down to Jyn's waist, hugging her tightly and deepening the kiss. The sensation of someone else's lips on hers was foreign but exciting. Every time she would break apart to breathe she wanted to return immediately.

Cassian held the woman he'd been dreaming about for months. He knew that his longing for her was only increased by the time they spent apart. Breaking and looking into each other's eyes, he could sense they were thinking the same thing. They both thought back to their last moments together, clutching at life in the elevator and on the beach. There were so many things that he wanted to impart to her, and now he could. They chuckled with the renewed sense of feeling alive.

"You're so beautiful." Cassian told her.

Jyn blushed and kissed him again. Just then her comm beeped with a voice message. Reluctantly leaving Cassian, she walked over to it and pressed the button.

"Elia, meet me at Brantor Close in 15 minutes." The comm beeped out.

"Was that the Queen?" Cassian asked with a smirk from the bedroom doorway.

"Yep."

"I've never met a queen before. What's she like?"

"Come with me and you'll find out." Jyn coyly replied and they exited onto the stone street.

It was dusk in the city of Theed, and the air was warm. Cassian and Jyn quickly traversed the streets as the shops closed and the small houselights began to turn on. Ducking under an arch they reached the dimly lit close.

"What news of our blue headed friend?" Sosha Soruna asked Jyn in a hushed tone.

Cassian stood nearby, watching the pair discuss the events of the day. If he were a queen, she certainly didn't look like one. For one thing, she seemed very young, maybe around 16 years old. From his distance he could tell she was spunky. Her dark hair was pulled back into a long braid and she wore street clothes to blend in. He was relieved when Jyn finished her briefing and headed back over to him. Even the brief separation was uncomfortable.

"Was she worried about Hoth?" Cassian asked, making conversation.

"Yes. She had me follow a man named Ved Cortoo today, he apparently is part of the Empire."

"And did you find anything?"

"Sort of. He talked with another man for a while who seemed really suspicious. Unfortunately I didn't get to find out where they were going." She teased and looked up at Cassian. "Lets grab some menai before the food shops close."

Menai turned out to be a pocket of some kind of meat floating in a noodle broth. Both Cassian and Jyn were desperately hungry; it had been a long and emotionally draining day. They ate quickly and silently before walking home in the dark. The comfort and scarcity of the streetlights brought the pair closer, Cassian just behind Jyn.

They had almost arrived at Jyn's apartment when they spotted two Stormtroopers standing just ahead. Stopping abruptly, Cassian ran into Jyn's back and giggled as she backed up around the corner. She leaned against the wall smiling in the moonlight up at Cassian, who took her hands in his. He looked down and back at her, his heart skipping a beat and his breath getting short. Cassian suddenly had the strong urge to kiss her. But before he could act, they heard the troops walk away and Jyn gestured him inside.

Jyn barely shut the door before Cassian grasped her head and kissed her. The need to be closer was overwhelming. He wanted to feel every moment, remember every touch that passed between them. They made their way to Jyn's bed, losing jackets and shoes along the way. They lied down and looked into each other's eyes. They thought of everything that brought them together, the people who lost their lives for a greater cause. There were no words for their pain and no words for the solace they found that day. The joy of finding one another could only be attributed to The Force, the ever changing and unpredictable movement of the universe. And they drifted off to sleep; no longer alone.


	9. Skin

Chapter 9: Skin

Jyn woke up to the sun coming in through her little window and warming up her sheets. It took a moment for her to remember the events of the day before. As soon as she did, she looked over expecting to see Cassian but instead seeing an empty bed.

 _Was what happened even real?_

Flustered she got out of bed and went into the kitchen. Everything seemed normal. She checked her comm to see if she had any messages. None. Panic set in just as the front door opened. Cassian walked in carrying a bag not noticing Jyn until she jumped into his arms.

"Good morning." He said, " I was just getting some breakfast."

"Sorry," Jyn said, stepping back. "I thought you were not real, or gone or something." Cassian set down the bag and pulled her close to his chest. They stood there for a moment, listening to each other's breathing.

"What did you get to eat?" Jyn asked, her voice muffled in his shirt.

"Some russett bread and yorun oats." He replied.

She looked up at him with a creased brow, "Those things aren't really breakfast foods." Cassian laughed.

"Nabooan cuisine is beyond me."

Jyn opened the bag and sat at her little two-person table next to the small window. Cassian joined her and looked outside. A boy around the age of thirteen appeared to be building a stick structure on the side of the street.

"Who's that?" Cassian asked, watching him build higher and higher.

"I think that's my neighbor. His mother works at the market."

Cassian turned back to Jyn. "How often does the Queen send you on missions?"

"A few times a week."

"And you said you saved her life?"

"Yeah, I had just gotten to Naboo. So around three months ago. And I was sitting at a random cantina and Sosha walked in and ordered a drink. A man came up to her and offered her a brued root, told her it was a delicious snack or something like that."

"And she believed him?"

"Well she took it into her hand and almost put it into her mouth! I ran and stopped her before she could do it."

"She seems a bit naïve."

"No, see the thing is, she knew what she was doing. She was trying to get the guy for selling illegal poisons. But since I interfered I ruined her plan of nabbing him."

"I don't see how she would be happy about that." Cassian laughed at Jyn.

"Well at first she was upset but then she thought about it and was actually grateful that I even noticed." Jyn finished eating her bread and got up to put the rest away.

"Things were simpler on Lah'mu. It was like being a kid again." Jyn looked outside to the boy who built things all day.

"Lets go outside, it's nice." She suggested.

The two explored Theed, walking along the canals and visiting Jyn's favorite spots. Temples stood over the masses, honoring long dead monarchs and traditions. Stormtroopers patrolled the streets and kept the city up to Imperial code. The citizens were all but free.

"Sosha tells me about all the restrictions they put on her and her administration." Jyn told Cassian while looking up at the lavish palace. "They removed the Naboo Security Force's starfighter pilots and heavily policed anti-imperial activity."

"It seems like a very divided planet." Cassian remarked.

"It is. The Nabooans are not the only ones living on this planet. The Gungans live here too. I met a very interesting one once."

After a long day out, they returned back to Jyn's place. The sun had gone down and the little apartment was dark and still.

"So why did the rebellion send you to Naboo?" Jyn asked, putting away the groceries they had picked up.

"They didn't." Cassian replied as he stood in the doorway between her bedroom and the kitchen.

"What?"

"I didn't join the rebellion."

A moment passed. Jyn looked puzzled.

"I…I couldn't do it."

"Well what have you been doing since you left Lothal?"

Cassian's dark eyes found Jyn's. "Looking for you."

Jyn was struck with a feeling she had only felt once, when the rebellion plucked her from jail and interrogated her.

 _What makes me so special?_

"Why?" She asked, knowing the reasons why she wanted to find Cassian were probably the same.

"I have felt a calling to you, even before we were reborn. When I see you, everything we are fighting for makes sense. This is what we fight for." He gestured to Jyn and to himself while getting closer to her. "This is the connection some people never find."

He was within a few inches of her face now. Jyn lifted her hand to trace his lips with her finger before kissing them. They started off slow, memorizing every touch, every heartbeat. Cassian moved to kissing her neck, his beard scratching her skin and causing a tingling that she felt throughout her entire body. They started removing jackets and shirts, every inch craving the skin of the other. Jyn's breast band unraveled and Cassian embraced them each tenderly, kissing each nipple and driving Jyn crazy. He kissed her mouth, sinking into her while they moved to the bedroom.

Jyn's hands roamed freely down Cassian's chest, feeling the taut muscles, and reaching his pants. She unhooked them and pulled them down over his hardness. The limp fabric fell to the floor. Cassian kicked them off and laid Jyn down on the bed, trailing little kisses and light touches starting from her neck and working his way down. He reached her lower stomach, removing her pants and underwear with one swift tug, revealing her dark brown curls and strong thighs.

Jyn suddenly felt bare, moving her arms inward and playing with Cassian's hair. He kissed her stomach, kissed her inner thighs, and kissed her folds, gently feeling her wetness with his fingers and his tongue. Jyn arched in pleasure, letting go of Cassian's hair to grip the sheets next to her. He brought himself up to join his lips to hers sloppily, pressing himself closer to her and settling between her legs. He entered her slowly, Jyn moaning through the pain in his kiss.

"Are you alright?" Cassian breathed, still inside her. Jyn nodded, her arms wrapped around his body, the pain lessening as he rocked away and back again. They moved gently together, breathing into each other, sweat slickening their bodies. Every movement was building to something sensational. The whole universe could have collapsed and they wouldn't have known. Entire lifetimes may have passed before they came back to reality, panting with pleasure and comfort.

Cassian breathed heavily into Jyn's neck while she grazed her hand along his smooth back. After a minute or so he shifted his weight to lie beside her. They looked at each other, letting out small chuckles with small kisses. Cassian brushed Jyn's dark hair out of her face, now unkempt and spread across the pillow.

"I'm glad you found me." Jyn whispered. Cassian smiled.

"Me too."


	10. From Here

Chapter 10: From Here

"Do you ever think about them?" Jyn asked, lying in Cassian's arms in the early morning sun. He took a moment to respond.

"Yes. We were all soldiers that day."

"Tell me about Kaytoo."

Cassian snickered, shifting his position to lie beside Jyn and intertwine his hand in hers. "I was on a mission to Lola Sayu, gathering intelligence undercover as an Imperial officer."

"That sounds complicated. How did you do it?"

"Roughly the same way you and I did!" They laughed.

Jyn recalled their invasion of Scarif. "Yeah we did do that. It all happened so fast I really couldn't process it."

"Missions for the rebellion seem to do that to you. Your mind goes into a state of making quick decisions based on something."

"Instinct?"

"I think it's more like years of practice." As Cassian said this they both thought back to their orphan childhoods, living on the streets for so many years. "I used to throw rocks at the Stormtroopers when I was a kid. Five points for their legs, ten points for their middle and twenty points for their head."

Jyn pressed her lips into a smile and Cassian's heart fluttered. "So did you just find K-2SO on the station or did he shoot at you first?"

"He was on the ship I hijacked to get out of there. I didn't even notice him until we were in hyperspace. He was just standing there, offline. Even today I can't believe he didn't wake up and kill me."

"I was thinking about getting a droid before you came."

"What for?'

"Nothing in particular. I've just been living here for several months and I thought I could use a companion."

"Ah, I understand. I suppose I should leave so you can have room for your new companion." Cassian joked as he leaned away from Jyn.

"No!" She shouted, pulling her leg over his body and locking him under her. He sat up, holding her in his lap. She kissed him tenderly, breaking apart to whisper, "Please don't leave."

"I won't."

As the summer faded, a short fall brought strong winds into a cold winter. The Queen tried her best to anticipate the needs of her people, but the Imperial restrictions on planetary and interplanetary travel made providing for everyone nearly impossible. There was, of course, a massive food shortage and every citizen was expected to live off rations. Many of the people were completely unaccustomed to this sudden decrease in their standard of living, Naboo usually being a particularly prosperous planet.

Jyn and Cassian, however, were incredibly used to living from meal to meal, stocking up what they could in their little apartment to get through the winter. Cassian built a small heater from as many junk parts as he could find, but the frequency of it breaking down meant that the apartment was nearly as freezing as it was outside. Sosha Soruna helped a little bit, giving Jyn short missions throughout the city and providing her and Cassian with extra food. Jyn's missions usually consisted of trailing someone, getting information from the select traders allowed on the planet, and occasionally sabotaging Imperial weapon's stocks.

The past six months had been blissful for the pair. Despite the hardships of the planet, they relished in a comfortable place to live surrounded by civilized people. Feeling a little awkward around the locals at first, Jyn and Cassian started getting to know their neighbors and learning more of the culture from Sosha. Cassian had begun a surprising friendship with the now fourteen-year-old next door, Matthew. His interest in building modules and droids renewed Cassian's desire to tinker. Together they were building a communicator to get in touch with the Rebel Alliance on a secret channel. So far their efforts had been unsuccessful.

"I swear my nose I going to fall off. I have lost all feeling in it." Jyn said one afternoon while walking inside, the icy wind trailing behind her. Cassian was eating some oatmeal and reading on his pad.

"Matthew gave me this converter manual it's—" Cassian looked up at Jyn and laughed, "You look like a Hosnian vepri with all those clothes on." Jyn did look quite comical, her red face showing through many poofy layers.

"Oh shut up. If you fix that damn heater Ill actually be able to take them off!"

"Now that is the _best_ bribe to get me into bed that I've ever heard." Cassian said as got up and started tinkering with the junky module.

"What did you do today?" Jyn asked, changing into her more comfortable clothes in the bedroom.

"Matthew and I managed to find the tred-lap part that we needed to get the radar working on the communicator." He got up to join her and kissed the tip of her nose. " Wow, it _is_ cold. I can't believe Sosha would send you out there for hours in this."

"No it was okay, I actually spent a lot of time in the tunnels today. They're much warmer without the wind chill."

"The tunnels?"

"Yeah, there are underground tunnels that span much of the City of Theed and outward into the country. They are left over from thousands of years ago, before the humans came to live here. No one knows who created them or why they left."

"Well that's creepy."

Jyn thought about it, putting on another sweater layer. "Yeah. Yeah it is."

She laughed. "I'm starving."

They walked into the kitchen just as Matthew came bursting through the door.

"Come quick! It's mother!" The bushy-haired kid shouted at them before dashing back to his own home. Jyn and Cassian darted after him and into the small apartment. Matthew's mother was on the ground, making a pained wheezing sound, her light hair sticking to her forehead with sweat.

"She's having trouble breathing." Jyn said, putting a hand to her chest. "What happened?"

"We were eating—"

"What were you eating? Cassian said looking around their small kitchen for a sign of any poisons.

"Just the rations they gave us."

"Anything else?" Asked Jyn. "She's having some kind of reaction."

Matthew showed Cassian a small berry and replied, "No, I just got us some banthu—"

"Where did you get this?" Cassian asked with an urgent tone.

"Tullab gave it to me. He said it would help her with her pain."

"Matthew, I told you that guy was trouble. What were you doing hanging around—"

"Stop yelling at each other and help me!" Jyn bellowed, "Cassian, go into our spice cupboard and get some dand leaves. Matthew, boil some water to make a tea and then call a doctor!"

The two split quickly, leaving Jyn to calm down Matthew's mother Neera. By the time the doctor arrived Neera was already drinking the tea and feeling a little better. When the excitement subsided, Jyn and Cassian returned to their home and Jyn finally got something to eat.

"How did you know to give her dand leaves?" Cassian asked Jyn as they lay in bed, exhausted from the long day.

"I used to use them when I got stung. We had these large wasps on Lah'mu and my mama always rubbed dand leaves on me to keep the swelling down. I always keep them with me just in case."

Cassian met Jyn's green eyes, admiring her long eyelashes and dark brows. He stared intently, thinking of a time when she wasn't in his life.

"What?" Jyn asked.

"I love you."

Jyn saw him then, the man who she didn't know she cared for until he was gone. Her hand brushed his cheek, feeling the rough beard under her fingers before kissing him on the mouth. She broke apart to whisper, "I love you too."


	11. Rebels

Chapter 11: Rebels

Jyn could hear her footsteps echoing through the halls of the dark tunnel despite her efforts to remain as quiet as possible. The only light came from a small torch on her vest, brightening about 10 feet in front of her before it was swallowed up by total darkness. The heat of the late summer trapped the moisture underground making the tunnels, and anyone inside them, drip with sweat. The tunnels varied in size and length, mostly ranging from around 10 to 20 feet high and many miles long. After walking for nearly 30 minutes she eventually reached a crossroads and checked her navigation pad.

 _Right, left, left._ Jyn thought to her self as she snaked through a smaller inlet. Turning a corner she saw firelight up ahead. She crept up slowly to see a group of fifteen people gathered in conversation, their voices echoing loudly.

"We should blow up their convoy." A woman said, getting a cheering response from the others.

"We can make waves with big attacks. What good is it if we don't fight back?"

Another Nabooan replied.

"Quiet, quiet!" Said Tullab, a tall man wearing worn out clothes. "I know we have to do something rash. It's the only way to get their attention. Now I like Manda's idea of blowing up a convoy to start." There were some small cheers at this. "I also would like to introduce a new recruit, Matthew. He's a bit young, but he's fast and good at building things."

A skinny bushy haired kid stepped into the light with a small smirk. Jyn gasped and held her mouth; the cheering luckily stopped her from being heard.

The group argued and eventually settled on several attacks in the near future. Leaving silently the way she came, Jyn was relieved to feel the cool night air on her face when she climbed up the steep rocks to the city of Theed. She was all the way across town and the night and curfew had already set.

"Damn it." She cursed under her breath, every time she turned a corner and saw a Stormtrooper squad paroling the streets. She eventually got home and closed the door to see Cassian sleeping on the small couch.

"What time is it?" he asked wearily, getting up.

"Late." Jyn replied, getting a glass of water.

"What happened?"

"I had to go a few miles into the tunnels to find those rebels. They were planning a few attacks."

Sensing Jyn's stress, Cassian came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. "You can tell Sosha in the morning." He curled against her and she leaned back into him. They stood there in silence, listening to each other's soft breaths and feeling the rise and fall of their chests.

Many nights this summer had been stressful ones. Naboo was recovering from the harsh winter and temperate spring that, among many other things, created dire problems for the Nabooans. Despite the crop increase with the warmer season, the Empire still regulated all rations and policed heavily. A small faction of rebels began to form on Naboo, and Jyn was monitoring their actions and reporting back to Sosha. They seemed harmless for now, but Jyn was unsure that their choices would eventually do more harm than good.

"There's something else." Jyn said, closing her eyes. "Matthew's joined them."

…

"What were you thinking?" Cassian yelled at Matthew in his apartment the next day. "You're too young to be involved with those… those…"

"Rebels?" Matthew replied. "Don't you want to defy the Empire? Don't you want to do something?"

"They are not the Rebel Alliance. They are working for themselves and not the greater cause."

"The greater cause? What is more important than the lives of the people on this planet?" Matthew yelled, gesturing outside to the oppressed people.

"Matthew, acting out of fear without planning is going to make more trouble. They aren't taking actions that show they are aware of the consequences." Cassian's accented voice bellowed in the small apartment. His frustration showed in the knot at his brow.

"My mother can't get the drugs she needs to make her better. I have to do this." He started getting emotional now. "You're not my father. I can do what I want. Just leave Jeron."

Cassian glowered back at this scared young man. It was as if he were looking in a mirror. He trudged back home, slammed the door and leaned up against it in angst. He closed his eyes, listening to Jyn in the room next-door finish up her shower.

"What happened?" Jyn said, walking in only wearing a towel. "Did you get through to Matthew?"

"Not even close."

Jyn walked up to Cassian, kissing and embracing him, her dark wet hair against his cheek. "I'm sorry. You'll figure it out."

 _I hope so._

 _…_

Jyn watched the fog of her breath billow in front of her as she and Cassian ran through the frozen streets of Theed. This winter was even harsher than the last, and the spring days should have been arriving weeks before. They were heading towards Daamoren's Cantina on the north side, briskly walking mostly to keep warm on their way to meet Sosha.

"Any demonstrations on today? There's so many people out." Cassian panted, running beside Jyn.

"I don't think so, but you know how they are lately. They don't exactly count their musha before they act." Jyn replied.

"Musha?"

"It's an expression."

The pair eventually got to their destination, relieved when they stepped into the warm, bustling bar and sat down with Sosha in the corner. She was wearing a tightly wrapped scarf and draped clothing, covering her self up more these days. The high-class was seriously not in favor.

"Captain Korro tells me that two civilians were injured in the rebel's last attack. What happened?" Sosha asked as the pair sat down.

"Tullab shot a Stormtrooper near the University building who then proceeded to open fire on the citizens. I suppose it could have been worse."

"I appreciate your full reports on all resistance efforts. These extreme factions often do more harm than good." Sosha told he pair.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Said Cassian in earnest.

"I don't know what to do from here. If I resist the rebels no one will listen to me and if I go along with them more people could get hurt." Sosha said, clearly discouraged.

"We will support you your highness." Jyn said in a hushed tone. "We know the only way to win this war is outside this planet."

The bar started rustling.

"Something is going on." Cassian said, standing up and heading outside, Jyn and Sosha close behind. The group got outside amidst frenzy. Down the street they could see Tullab standing tall and defiant, ready to take action.

"Defy the Empire!" He screamed as he threw a grenade into a group of oncoming Stormtroopers.


	12. Height

Chapter 12: Height

Jyn and Cassian's apartment was cluttered. Cassian had nearly picked up every piece of scrap equipment in Theed to work on various appliances with Matthew. After giving up for several months, they returned to their chief project of making a radio to the Resistance. The somewhat clunky device sat on the table, backlit by the orange light of the spring sun coming in through the small window.

"It has to be a faulty barometer. There's no reason why this shouldn't work." Matthew said, reading from a manual pad and gesturing to the creation.

"Let me go see if I can find another one." Cassian got up and began to search through the many wires and metal parts. Jyn walked through the door then, holding up a small poster.

"The fucking Empire sent out another damn decree restricting yet another race from entering Naboo." She said, her frustration mounting. "Sorry I just…"

"It's alright Elia. We understand." Matthew said, looking down. Jyn walked over to him at the table, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"How's your mother Matthew?" She said earnestly, sitting down opposite.

"She's alright. The winter hit her pretty hard though."

"Yeah I didn't see her leaving much to go work at the market."

Matthew looked outside. "Speaking of Mom, I should probably go. Thanks for the bread Jeron." Cassian nodded as Matthew left a silence in the room.

"He really looks up to you, you know." Jyn said to Cassian, his back turned from the door.

"If he cared about me, he'd listen to me and know those extremists are trouble."

Jyn got up and walked over to Cassian, grazing his arm and turning him around. Not knowing what to say, she instead pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him tightly. They stood there locked in an embrace, a place of safety and comfort they could always retreat to. Cassian started to kiss her neck, causing tingles and butterflies and replacing the anxiety that often overcame the pair. Sex brought them away from this war, away from the oppression of the Empire that they couldn't fight back on Naboo. But ultimately it reminded them more of their great sacrifice to the cause nearly three years prior and how incredible it was to be alive.

…

Cassian woke up to a loud banging on their door, instantly alert and frightened. He noticed it was still dark outside.

"What is it?" Jyn asked, turning over and getting up from the bed. Cassian put pants and a shirt on and walked over to answer it.

"Jeron!" Neera said as he opened to door to the frantic blonde woman. "It's my Matthew, he hasn't come home and there's another commotion in the square."

"What? It's early morning." He said, checking the device on the counter for the time. "What do you mean he's not home? He left to hours ago."

Jyn came up alongside him, hearing the noises of the awakening city. Panic began to set in, much like the last time there was a big demonstration.

"Lets go." Said Jyn, returning to their room to dress appropriately.

"We'll find your son Neera." Cassian reassured her.

Stormtroopers littered the square and people were running in all directions. Jyn and Cassian ran up to a corner and peered behind it to see the situation clearly. It seemed that one of the weapon's stores next to a block of apartments had been raided and the extremists were still inside. Stormtroopers had aims on the whole area.

"Come outside!" The robotic voice of the squadron leader demanded.

"Look!" Jyn whispered to Cassian, pointing to a man on the roof.

"Do you think he's going to shoot them or drop a grenade on them?" Cassian asked as he peered around for Matthew.

"I don't know."

"Matthew must be somewhere near here. Maybe he's on the roof with that other guy."

"Or he's inside." Jyn looked at Cassian, his eyes unhappy with that conjecture. Suddenly, gunfire came from behind the Stormtroopers, catching them off guard. Several were hit by what seemed to be emanating from the roof next to Cassian and Jyn. In fact, gunfire was coming from all around the square, surrounding the ambushed Stormtroopers.

"Cassian! We have to fall back. If we are anywhere near this square we are in the line of fire." She pulled his clothing and he reluctantly followed. They waited in the back for several minutes until the gunfire ceased.

"Alright let's go." Cassian said, running to the corner again. Over a dozen Stormtroopers lay dead in the square, white and black mixed with bright red on the dirt. The dust started to settle, revealing the other casualties.

"MATTHEW!" Yelled Cassian, darting to the young man sitting up against the tan building, his weak hands cradling his abdomen. Jyn ran after him, crying echoing from several others in the early morning light. As she got closer she could see the blood dripping down his fingers, staining his clothes in deep red. Panic was plain on his young face.

"Jeron. I'm sorry, I was trying to… to…" He said weakly through the shock.

"No, Matthew. No. Don't be, you're alright." Cassian said, putting a hand on his cheek and glancing at the damage.

"Where's my mother?" Matthew pleaded, his face paling from the loss of blood.

"I'll get her." Jyn said, leaving the pair alone.

"Jeron?" Babbled Matthew, looking into Cassian's dark eyes.

"Yes?" Cassian replied with a false strength in his voice. Matthew lifted his hand to grasp Cassian's, squeezing slightly before slumping over.

Jyn ran through the streets, back towards the square with Neera. She knew what she would find when she got there and she dreaded every step. Cassian laid Matthew down on the ground, covering up his body with a scarf he found nearby. He did not cry, but simply stared down like a soldier that had seen this many times before. But this was not like other times.


	13. Out

Chapter 13: Out

The weeping was uncontrollable for Neera and many others who had lost their loved ones in the square. Jyn shed tears for the boy who lived next door, whose need to rebel got himself killed. She meditated on the Force during the next few days, hoping the ones who were lost found solace. The funerals cascaded the sadness throughout Theed, increasing the resentment that gripped its people. But with this recent attack, everyone felt exceedingly hopeless.

Still, Jyn and Cassian roamed the city for several days acting as outreach liaisons for the Queen. The good thing about this was that it kept them busy. Their minds could forget the horrors and put their anger into a worthwhile task. But the work led to tiredness and distance between the pair. Cassian turned to his quiet and formulaic disposition, the one Jyn met on Yavin IV nearly three years before. He hardly spoke to her, going through daily tasks on autopilot. When she hugged him he stiffened, when she kissed he wasn't present. Jyn thought this distance would close when their work lessened, but a few weeks passed and he was still the same.

"Are you finished?" Jyn asked Cassian, cleaning up the small dinner she had prepared for them. He had hardly eaten anything and was now mindlessly stirring his porridge.

"I am going to join the Rebel Alliance." Cassian said bluntly. Jyn came and sat down across from him.

"It's going to be hard to get out of here. I suppose we could stowaway on a—"

"I don't think you should come." He said looking into her eyes.

The words hit Jyn like knives. She swallowed, unable to respond from shock.

"I think you should stay here. Under the protection of Sosha."

"No."

"Jyn, I can't—"

"NO. The only way we can win this war is from off this planet. You said so yourself. I need to be fighting too."

"You can do your part here and stay safe." Cassian stood up and walked over to the junk pile on the ground. Turning away from Jyn to look down at the painful memory of Matthew.

"No one is safe Cassian. We are in a war."

"I just can't bear to lose you too." He said, the pain finally cracking through his voice.

"If you leave, you'll lose me anyway." Jyn said, instantly regretting the statement the moment it left her lips. She looked down, holding back her tears long enough to go into the bedroom and close the door.

Cassian stood outside, thinking about her words and their ultimate truth. For the first time in a while he sat down to meditate. He focused on his pain, attempting to release the frustration that welled up inside him. The Force guided him to open his eyes at last, revealing his father's ghost sitting in front of him.

"You must not push her away Cassian." Jeron Andor said to his son. He was around the same age as Cassian when he died and naturally bared a strong resemblance. Any one who saw them together would think that they were brothers.

"Father, how do we protect those we love with an enemy this great?"

"You must simply trust in the Force. Go with your instinct. Leave this oppressed planet to fight for your cause. Just don't lose sight of what is truly important."

"And what is that exactly?" Cassian snapped.

"Her." Jeron said simply as his light faded away.

Cassian got up and walked over to the bedroom. He slowly opened the door to see Jyn lying on the bed apparently asleep. He watched her breathing for a while; her dark curls strewn across her pillow inviting him in. He cuddled up behind her, resting his hand on her waist.

"I'm sorry." He said into her hair. She breathed heavily, taking his hand and pulling him closer.

"I'm sorry too. We'll talk to Sosha in the morning." She said. Cassian sighed with relief kissing her shoulder.

 _It's always been about her._

…

"Here you are. Elia Pruit and Jeron Oro: Nabooian diplomats." Sosha said, giving info pads to the pair as they prepared to leave the planet. "You'll find special commendation messages encoded on them for a few eventualities."

"Your highness, thank you for all you've done for us." Jyn said to the woman who made her life possible on Naboo.

"I wish I could go with you and fight, but I need to stay here with my people." She looked down, dark strands covering her face for a moment. "I will miss you both very much."

They said their goodbyes and boarded their small ship. They were dressed in traditional Nabooian noble garb, masquerading a status neither of them had ever truly known. Cassian sat in the pilot seat, preparing for take off. A Stormtrooper came by to check credentials. He accepted their flight log of "a message from the Queen of Naboo to the Imperial leaders" and they were ready to leave. Jyn sat down next to Cassian after putting away some belongings. She stared out the window at the green roofs and gorgeous landscapes as they rose to the upper atmosphere.

"This was a good home." She commented. Cassian grabbed her hand and smiled for the first time in a while.

"It was."

…

The journey to Hoth was tricky. They had to make sure that no one followed them or recognized their flight pattern directly from Naboo. It took a day or so to get within radio range. For the first time in three years, Cassian was able to find the rebel channel, but he didn't have the proper access code and it irked him to no end.

"Fuck." He said, fiddling and listening with the headphones for a sign of breaking in.

"Take a break. Let's eat. We're almost to Hoth." Jyn said, checking the radar.

Suddenly, multiple alarms sounded at the helm, shocking the pair into their seats.

"What is it?" asked Cassian urgently.

"Multiple Imperial ships are surrounding Hoth. We need to break out of hyperspace now or we will get caught in their radar too."

"Alright, lets avoid that entirely. There seems to be ships scattering in all directions. Damn I wish we could contact them."

"Maybe we can tail one."

"That one!" Jyn shouted, pointing to one on the radar that seemed to be slowing down nearby. "Never mind, three TIE fighters are on its tail and it's headed for an asteroid field."

They eventually settled on one heading for the Mayagil Sector but they quickly lost them.

"What happened?" asked Cassian, "The rebels had Hoth for years now."

"They must have lost." Jyn said, the gravity of it falling on both of them. Hoth was their only hope to directly reach the rebellion. Racing away from capture, the pair found a place to land on the moon of a nearby gas giant. It's heavily forested terrain allowed Cassian to find a place to land undetected.

"I'm going outside." Said Jyn, opening the hatch door and letting in the cool air.

"Take a blaster, I have no idea what is out there." Advised Cassian, but Jyn had already left. Sighing, he grabbed one himself and walked out the door.

The dense trees were a rich dark blue while the terrain below was bright orange. Cassian's eyes were forced to adjust to the stark contrast.

"Jyn?"

"Over here." She said standing by a small stream and gazing at the creatures in it from a safe distance. She was still wearing her draped Nabooian clothing, her hair swooped up to a couple knots on the top of her head. Cassian held her hand as they stood there in peace. The breeze rushed in from the north causing Goosebumps to appear on their arms.

Back in their little ship, they had everything they would need to travel and live semi-comfortably for months if need be. The little bathroom in the back had a vapor shower and a small bed could be pulled out from a module on the side, only a foot from the floor. The sleek exterior was in no way mirrored on the inside however. Sosha had managed to get them a ship, but it was definitely not the most up to date one. Still, Jyn and Cassian were comfortable enough.

The next morning Jyn woke up in Cassian's arms, the bed providing only enough room for them to sleep nearly on top of each other. She opened her eyes to find herself nuzzled into Cassian's neck so both of them could use the same pillow. She looked up to see his strong nose and kissed his thin lips to wake him up. He moved to reposition himself to lie on his back. In doing so he clipped the edge and fell off the bed and onto the floor, waking up instantly.

"Ah!" Cassian gasped as he woke, looking up at the laughing Jyn and saying "It's like we are sleeping in a drawer."

"I couldn't agree with you more." She said, cracking up. Cassian went to use the restroom while Jyn put her Nabooian clothes back on. She figured they would be a good disguise anywhere, at least for a little bit while they figured out where to go next. As she sat on her bed, looking down and lacing her shoes, a sudden wave of queasiness came over her. She got up and pushed the button to head outside quickly. She just reached the back of the ship before throwing up onto the orange rocks. Fanning herself, she sat down next to the stream and watched the flow to relieve the nausea.

"The rebels must have scattered. I can't imagine they planned on where to go if Hoth was given up." Said Cassian, walking out of the ship and joining her.

"What about the neighboring star systems? Are there any resistance-leaning planets near by?" Jyn asked, hope holding strong.

"There's a few. I suppose we could go to Taris, the home of Senator Pamlo."

"It's a start."


	14. Prophecy

Chapter 14: Prophecy

Taris was a planet of extreme ruin. The surface held both untamed bogs littered with crashed ships and massive rock structures left over from ancient beings. Most of the population lived on the ground, permeated by dense smog, while the upper class lived in tall skyscrapers. The air was technically breathable, but led to lightheadedness after long exposures.

Jyn and Cassian posed as Nabooian diplomats to land on the rebel reclamation base. Their ruse was complete with accurate identification, authorization codes, and a recorded message from the Queen herself. The only thing left to do was to act the part.

"Are you ready?" Cassian asked Jyn as they stood inside their little ship, waiting to open the door to the hanger. They were adorned in Nabooian dress and style. Cassian's hair was slicked back and his beard trimmed and clean.

"As I'll ever be." Jyn said, gesturing to her own draped ensemble. Her hair was up in several knots, keeping the strands away from her face full of makeup. She smiled at him as Cassian pressed the button to reveal the bright, hazy glow of Taris. The pair stepped outside, maintaining at least a semi-convincing air of regality.

"Welcome to Taris!" A large man said, approaching them, his dark skin imbued with bright green tattoos. "I am Lieutenant Truu Bonei, it is a privilege to have such distinguished guests in our humble base." He bowed at them and Jyn and Cassian nodded back.

"W-we are very pleased to bring our tidings of peace between Naboo and Taris." Jyn said, her confidence gaining with each word. "We have come to meet with Senator Pamlo."

"Oh." Bonei looked confused. " Senator Pamlo resigned several years ago. Her post has since been absent with the dismissal of the Galactic Senate by Emperor Palpatine."

"Ah, I see." Jyn said, feeling awkward.

"How about I assist you to your quarters? Later we can dine with Commander Brua." Bonei said quickly, noticing the discomfort. The pair nodded and they were guided inside.

The base was old. The ruined and mossy walls told stories of battles fought millennia ago. There were thousands of people inhabiting the various levels of what would more aptly be labeled as a small city. Businesses and rebel buildings scattered over several miles between small apartments of families and workers.

Jyn and Cassian were led into the central command core of the base, where the highest density of current technology resided. Here the mossy walls were replaced with red chrome, security was heightened and the air was highly filtered. The Tarisan rebel alliance worked furiously around them on small consoles. They walked down a small corridor, reaching a room that could only be opened by a key pad.

"The key is 839103." Bonei said, ushering them inside. "I would like to invite you to dinner with the commander and I."

"Thank you." Jyn said, nodding to Bonei and entering their room. A light and sweet smell emanated from the bright bouquet of flowers on a corner table. The red chrome in here was replaced with light grey, much more pleasing to the eye.

"I suppose we are going to dinner." Cassian said, matter of factly.

"I'm not very comfortable with it either, but such is the behavior of diplomats." Jyn said, smirking and retreating into the bathroom.

….

The dining room was located in the eastern wing of the compound. The red walls were lined with bouquets of fantastic size filled with exotic plants. Jyn and Cassian were directed to sit across from Commander Brua, a woman who seemed to have a constant skeptical look on her middle-aged face.

The Tarisan cuisine that was laid before them on the large round table was slimy. They were served a particularly dense purple goop that upon eating was actually quite good, not that Cassian would even touch the stuff. Commander Brua said nothing until the second course was served. Jyn and Cassian sat in awkward silence while they sipped on their goop, occasionally meeting each other's confused eye.

"What are your intentions here Ambassadors?" Brua asked, not looking up from her marda, the stringy vegetable dish Cassian was currently shoveling into his mouth.

Jyn coughed, not expecting to reply. But it was Cassian who answered confidently, "We are bringing the support of the Queen of Naboo, who offers her support as a secret ally of the Rebellion."

"Noted." Brua said before gesturing for her guards to exit the room. Once they departed she continued, " The Rebellion is at a stand still." She looked up at the pair, eager to hear the long awaited news. "The emperor has overrun Hoth and the direction from central command is unclear."

"Have there been any major changes within the Alliance? Is Mon Mothma still the leader?" Cassian asked, his voice edging towards desperation.

Noticing Cassian's possible tone of weakness, Jyn tailed, "She was the rallying point for our dear Queen."

Commander Brua looked up, meeting their eyes and removing her hood to reveal dozens of tight, cone-like spirals of hair. "Mothma has gone silent in recent events. We are but patient pawns in the coming war."

Cassian looked down at his food, suddenly feeling the loss of his appetite. "I was once involved intimately with the rebellion. It seems our only course of action is to wait until the central command has issued a call to arms. Until then, we are sitting ducks in this chaos."

"I agree." Brua paused, causing Jyn and Cassian's discomfort to rise significantly. After a minute she continued, "I have seen your messages from the queen. She has convinced me that the two of you have the purest of intentions to join the rebellion." Cassian relaxed in relief and Jyn caught his eye.

 _Don't get too cozy. I still don't trust her._

…

"Now kick your right foot up and hit the bend in my knee." Cassian said, holding Jyn in a completely compromising position. Instead of doing this Jyn opted for a knee to the groin. Cassian dropped to the floor, wining in pain while Jyn chuckled. They were in the farthest out of one of the many training courses at the camp, brushing up their skills in hand-to-hand combat. The humid air weighed heavy on their sweating bodies. Jyn offered Cassian a hand and he got up, limping slightly.

"Always with the surprise attack." Cassian remarked to his partner with a smile. They left the course, taking a roundabout way through the less populated part of the city back to their quarters. The mossy, overgrown ruins were somehow calming to Jyn. She stared in wonder, feeling a force possess her to enter the forest.

"Remind me to mention to the training officer of the – wait, where are you going?" Cassian asked as Jyn drifted away from him to enter into the deep brush.

"I don't know. I… I think we should go this way. Something is calling me…" She replied, disappearing behind a massive rock structure.

"Jyn!" Cassian yelled, struggling to get over the thick vines. Crossing the rock, he stumbled into a dark enclosure. A single beam of light sliced the darkness and basked the room in a warm glow. Cassian could see Jyn standing behind it, her face in a calm confusion. Then Cassian felt it.

"This place is with the Force, " his voice echoing in the chamber. He walked over to Jyn's side and grabbed her hand. The two stared at the bright spot in silence for several moments. Then suddenly a translucent blue figure appeared. He was tall and wearing long robes. His white hair and wrinkled face revealed bright kind eyes that watched Jyn and Cassian intently.

"I see you have discovered the Jedi temples of Taris," the man said with a slight smile.

"Who are you?" Jyn asked eagerly.

"My name is Obi Wan Kenobi. I am a Jedi Knight."

"A Jedi?" Asked Cassian in wonder.

"Yes. I am a protector and wielder of the Force. I have come to deliver a prophecy." Obi Wan stated. The pair continued to grip hands, not in fear, but in exhilaration. For the past few years they had felt utterly lost. Scrambling to find their purpose in the chaos of the galaxy. Cassian looked at Jyn who glanced back with the same understanding.

"Soon, the light will shine bright throughout the galaxy, beaming far and wide and curing the pain. Those who are lost will find peace and those left behind will continue to forge the path for their descendants. But the trail will produce a shadow, growing darker and wider until it overcomes the light and consumes the galaxy once again. The Force craves balance, and the back and forth will continue for all of time until a Savior is born to manifest it. You, Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, have been chosen by the Force. Your child will be the Savior." He ended his speech, watching the pair intently.

They stood there for a few moments, taking in the magnitude of the imminent. This was the answer they were searching for; their purpose was laid out before them so clearly compared to the utter darkness they experienced before.

"My child – our child will be the Savior of the Galaxy?" Jyn asked, hoping to receive more answers.

"Yes. They will possess the Force like no other. Together with the darkness, they will manifest harmony and synchronicity."

"When?" Jyn asked, feeling uneasy.

"Well you are with child now, are you not?"

"What?" Jyn cried out. The pair looked down at her stomach and back at each other in disbelief. "I – I shouldn't be, I took precautions—'

"The Force has its ways. You of all people should know that." Obi Wan replied with the same slight smile. Jyn fell to her knees on the dirt and stared at the ground in disbelief. Cassian dropped to console her.

Looking up at the translucent being Cassian said, "What should we do now? Where should we go?"

"Well the war isn't going to fight itself." The old man replied, and with that he faded away, leaving the two reborn rebels in a panic.


	15. Terrors

Chapter 15: Terrors

Jyn's mind was racing a mile a minute.

 _I can't be pregnant. This isn't possible. I even got a new implant through Sosha two years ago. I had a physical check before we left Naboo._

"Jyn?" Cassian asked. She was completely unresponsive and staring catatonically at the ground, completely the opposite of what was going on inside her head. He took her hand and lifted her up. "Alright, let's just head back to the camp and go to med—"

"How are you so fucking calm right now?" Jyn snapped at him.

"What?" He said, backing away from her, his voice echoing in the chamber.

"H-how can you see this as a good thing?" She yelled back shakily, suddenly feeling faint and leaning against rock wall. Cassian jumped in again to catch her if she fell, closing in on her face in the darkness.

"We are together in this Jyn." He whispered, his calm demeanor curbed Jyn's anxiety somewhat. "For years we have been wondering what our purpose was for coming back to this war." Cassian wrapped his arms around her, holding her face close and smiling. "And now we know."

…

The spring months on Taris were almost relaxing for Jyn and Cassian. News of the status of the war was rare. It was almost distant for a time, where the pair could feel like a family for once. They were relocated to the area of the base where the families resided, Jyn's stomach swelling larger as the months went by. All her tests were done on a biweekly basis with one of the only birthers available, Ooni. She was a Manus, a type of alien with big green horns that extended to the back of her head and a convenient extra pair of arms at her abdomen.

"You are eating the gugid paste I give you?" Ooni asked Jyn for what seemed like the millionth time after six months of checkups.

"Yes Ooni, I do exactly what you say every week. I eat my gugid paste, I take a morning walk every day, I don't raise my heart rate..."

 _Too often at least._ Jyn thought, reminding herself of the fight she had with Cassian earlier that day about participating in a recent reconnaissance mission to Vulta. He was insistent on their continued involvement in the fight, especially after the prompting of the Jedi Kenobi.

"How is everything at home Jynsha?" Ooni asked, adding the –sha to Jyn's name as a term of Manus endearment. The two had become quite close and Jyn considered her to be one of her only friends.

"It's good. Cassian is getting a little antsy for a child I think." Jyn replied. The truth was, Jyn was incredibly surprised at Cassian's level of excitement. It was a stark contrast to herself being not too thrilled for the extra person to take care of.

"He is ready to be a father. Such devotion." Ooni said with a hearty smile.

Jyn walked home through the sticky humidity to her little apartment with Cassian. This place didn't feel like home to her, not like Naboo did. Her limited mobility was becoming increasingly aggravating and it seemed like everything she ate she would throw back up again. Which is exactly what she did in the sink as soon as she stepped in the door.

"Fuck you Kenobi." Jyn cursed, cleaning up her mess and sitting in the comfiest chair in the room. Cassian smiled when he walked in an hour later to find her snoozing in her spot. He'd been in the heart of the base all day, hoping to hear some news from Mon Mothma or Admiral Ackbar. His rank was much lower than his previous one since he decided to keep his alias of Jeron Oro. There was something that told him not revealing his true identity was the best course of action at present.

Cassian looked down at Jyn, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest and noticing the slight pinkness to her cheeks. He kissed one lightly and began to make dinner, thinking of the recent rumors of Imperial spies in the area. Truthfully, they concerned him. Wherever the Empire could find a weakness they would strike. Cassian tried not to guide his life by fear, but recently his life had extended by two people whom he cared for deeply. How could he not take every threat seriously when he had a family to protect?

Jyn woke up to the smell of burning Tarisian cuisine.

"Fuck!" Cassian exclaimed, taking the flaming herus off the burner.

"Good try sweetheart." Jyn said, her voice raspy from her nap. It really was endearing to watch him struggle. "Any news today?" She said, getting up laboriously from her chair.

"No, just some random attacks on the other side of the planet."

"Should we be concerned?"

"I don't know." Cassian said, his voice not completely reassuring. As soon as he replied, an alert signal appeared on their comm.

"What is it?" Jyn asked, trying to keep calm.

"It's a breach. In the outer rim." Cassian said, looking at the report in earnest. Usually these things didn't shock him, but he seemed worried this time.

Jyn began to reply, "Where—" before the base of a nearby explosion shook their little apartment and cut her off.

Cassian grabbed her arm and shouted, "Let me go see what happened." Another explosion shook the room.

"What is happening?" Jyn retorted.

"We have explosions in sector 9, all reinforcements are called to sector 9." Cassian said into his radio. "Lets get you to the main base."

The pair ran out of the apartment, the setting sun blinding Jyn as she dodged the crying and yelling Tarisians. Rubble from an exploded convenience shop littered the floor as they passed through their local square towards the center of the base.

"We have confirmed that we are being attacked by the Empire. All units to defense modules." Cassian's radio blared, shouting further instructions at its soldiers. Jyn started to feel a pain in her chest from running and was forced to slow down.

"Jyn, are you alright?" Cassian asked in an exasperated tone.

"I'm fine, I just…" She huffed, "I'm just having a hard time breathing." The sound of a large explosion nearby got them moving again through the dust and mayhem. After nearly a mile the pair reached the hangar where their Nabbooian ship was docked.

"The Stormtroopers have breached the east gate. All troops to the east gate." Cassian's radio shouted as he opened the massive hangar door. Their small ship was conveniently closest out of over a dozen ships and the pair rushed inside. The mayhem outside was muffled and distant.

"Rebel reinforcements have arrived. The Home One is in orbit." The radio announced.

"Jyn." Cassian said, turning towards her and taking her face in his hands. Her green eyes met his, holding on to them in anticipation. "I need you to stay here."

"What?" Her voice shaking. "I can't—"

"I need to fend off the Stormtroopers in this sector."

After a brief moment Jyn nodded in agreement.

"I will call you. I love you." Cassian said. He kissed her fiercely and briefly before running out of the hangar and shutting the massive door once again.

Jyn sat in silence, staring at the door of the hangar uncomfortably. Tears welled up in her eyes as she cursed her own uselessness. Eventually the anger subsided and she began to communicate with the only other person left.

"No use worrying in the spring when the summer harvest's on its way." Jyn whispered, looking down at her swollen belly. "Your father will be back soon enough. Mama's got you." The words escaped her mouth before she even realized, feeling a kick from the little being inside her. What a time to be comfortable about being a mother.

Suddenly, she noticed movement outside. Stormtroopers were entering the hangar from the entrance on the other side of the building. Only a hundred yards or so separated her from the enemy.

"Shit." She said, gazing over to the lock on her own ship.

"JYN!" The internal comm shouted, scaring her. "Jyn are you there?"

"Yes, what is going on?" She said, holding down the button hard, hoping the Stormtroopers didn't hear.

"Open the hangar door! It's jammed on our end!" Cassian demanded.

"They've breached the hangar, but I could probably get to the panel without them noticing."

"NO! Stay there, we will figure something else out!" Cassian's message said to an empty ship. Jyn had already opened her door and was rushing out to the panel in earnest. Huffing, she fumbled with the panel and put the code in for raising the door.

"Hey! There's someone over there!" A Stormtrooper said, gathering up his regiment against the incoming rebels. Blaster fire erupted between the two parties as Jyn remained close to the wall. She saw Cassian at the head of a group of fifteen men and women, poised for the attack. Quickly, Jyn ran over to their ship, ducking underneath just in time to miss a blaster fire. Unfortunately the plasma hit a man nearby, knocking him to the ground in the line of fire. Unconsciously, Jyn lunged for the man, hoping to help him in some way. But all was for naught as the plasma from a Stormtrooper's blaster landed squarely on Jyn's stomach.

And everything was black.


	16. Recovery

Chapter 16: Recovery

In the heat of battle, only instinct propels a soldier. It is only after the fight, after the adrenaline is long gone and the sweat has dried can the soldier reflect. Then comes the emotion. Cassian Andor sat in the medical bay of Home One, the flagship of the rebellion, and held the hand of the woman he loved. His red eyes indicated his most recent cry, appearing intermittently throughout the past few days. This was the first day out of the bacta tank and the medical droid had just given Jyn a dose of something to wake her up.

Jyn's eyes fluttered open, the long sleep laying heavy on them. The brightness of the room only added to her confusion.

"Jyn?" Cassian whispered hoarsely. She turned to see him then, noticing that he was holding her hand.

"Cassian." She said thoughtlessly as she glanced over at him. His beard was quite scruffy and his eyes were incredibly tired. Cassian watched as she woke, realizing her predicament with shock. "I was helping someone in the hangar. There was a terrible heat. What happened?"

"You were shot, Jyn. But you are better now. We are on the Home One."

"How did we get here? When—"

"Three days ago. You spend a few days in the bacta. I almost lost you Jyn." Cassian's voice broke with the last words, holding back the emotions in his throat. "We were right next to our ship, the only way out was up."

Jyn looked down at her white smock and at the sheets covering her stomach. As she went to lift them up Cassian's hand stopped her from continuing. The heartbreak in his tired face was enough for Jyn to realize the magnitude of what had happened. She couldn't bring herself to feel anything yet. Instead she sat there, her face as blank as Cassian's was emotional.

"The droid said you are unable to have anymore children Jyn." Cassian managed to say to her. "I'm so sorry." Jyn simply shook her head, her face blank, and leaned away from Cassian.

The rest of the evening passed in relative silence before Jyn was released to their quarters. The Home One was a massive ship, housing all the crew with ample space for extra passengers. Cassian still maintained his alias of Jeron Oro and Jyn's of Elia Pruit. The credentials of six months on Taris and multiple messages by the Nabbooian Queen made their arrival devoid of serious questions. Cassian had some time to get settled in a small room with a bed and a bathroom while Jyn was in the bacta. He tried to keep his wanderings to a minimum, yet he knew that eventually someone would recognize the pair.

Jyn walked slowly through the corridors with Cassian, getting used to walking again would take some time. As they entered their quarters, Cassian changed his dirty shirt for a fresh one while Jyn stood catatonic at the door.

"I'm going to get us something to eat." He said, touching her face and leaving. Jyn stood for a few moments eventually deciding it was best to take a shower and wandered into the bathroom. She undressed and stepped into the steam, coating her body with much needed warmth. The rocking came before the sobbing, her tears mingling with the rain. The anguish was from more than just losing a child, but losing a future with a purpose.

 _We are truly lost now in this universe._

Cassian walked back into the quarters, half expecting Jyn to be standing where he left her. And then he heard the shower, and the wailing. He quickly put down the rations, took off his shoes, and rushed into the shower just in time to catch her from falling. Her arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders as he held her up, clutching her naked body to his now completely soaked shirt. He held her for a long time, until she stopped crying and all that was left was exhaustion.

Stepping out into the small bathroom, Cassian first wrapped a towel around Jyn before rapidly shedding his sopping clothes and throwing them in the microdryer. After drying Jyn's hair and putting on his own sleepwear, he helped Jyn with hers before the pair laid down to rest. She fell asleep in Cassian's arms almost instantly, to a thankfully dreamless night.

…

Whatever was going on outside the small quarters, Cassian and Jyn were certainly not bothered. Last he heard they were heading to Sullust to investigate some grand Imperial scheme, a possible way of finally defeating the Empire. Everything was white noise to them, until it wasn't. Reality set in a few days after Jyn was released from the medical bay and it came in the form of a summons from Mon Mothma herself.

The pair walked slowly down the white halls to the large office, holding hands as they passed other uniformed rebels. They were gearing up for something big. Walking up to the door, Jyn looked up at Cassian, putting on her bravest face. She held her breath as she heard a faint, "Come in."

They stepped inside to see the same red-haired woman who sent them on the mission to find her father those few years before, turned away towards the window. Her face was nearly expressionless as she gazed at the countless stars in a white robe. She took a sharp intake of breath and turned around to face the undead couple.

"So it is true." Mon Mothma sighed, "You are not dead."

Cassian swallowed. "No."

"There are many questions I wish to ask, but of course the logical point of origin would be how you two managed to survive the attack on Scarif."

Her voice was confident without being accusatory. Cassian and Jyn said nothing, mulling over the years between that fateful day. After several moments of silence Mothma continued, "Why did you not make your presence known to the rebellion immediately?"

This was the question Cassian was ready for. "It was not the will of the force." He said defiantly, his tone intriguing Mothma.

"Very well then. Continue."

He began at the beginning, Jyn interjecting her story where necessary. They told her everything; their beginnings on their homeworlds, working with Sosha Soruna on Naboo, all the way up to their brief and ultimately tragic time on Taris. Mothma listened intently and without a hint of skepticism on her face.

After several moments Mothma replied. "I am very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Jyn said, taken aback.

"Do you both wish to fight in the alliance?" Mothma asked. It was the question that had been hanging over their heads for years.

"Yes." Said Cassian.

"Considering your failure to return to the Alliance soon after your resurrection, I hope you will understand that you will not retain your status as Captain Mr. Andor. But we will accept your re-admittance on the grounds that you follow any order that is given to you and accept any missions as needed."

Cassian nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Ms. Erso."

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you wish to join your husband?"

"He is not my—"

"Your past indiscretions will be similarly, and conveniently, forgotten."

Jyn nodded and Mothma's blue eyes bore into her own.

"Very well then." Mothma declared. "You are summoned to IU829 in 15 minutes for a briefing. You are dismissed."

The pair promptly retreated to their quarters, the need to discuss what just occurred hovering between them until they were safely out of earshot of anyone else.

"She just believed us so easily." Said Jyn, as soon as their door slid shut.

"Maybe. Whatever she thinks she just let us back into the rebellion."


	17. Breakthrough

Chapter 17: Breakthrough

The alarms sounded at 4 am, waking up everyone on the ship and sending them into a flurry of preparation. Jyn and Cassian weren't important enough to be called into the briefing, but heard their assignments from Captain Unram minutes later in the brightly lit west hangar.

"Oro, you are assigned first officer to the Nightshade, your mission is to fend off attacks while the Millennium Falcon enters the Death Star and hits the target. It is imperative that the Falcon succeeds." Unram shouted at Cassian.

"Yes sir." Cassian bellowed back.

The idea that there was another Death Star was already deeply troubling Jyn.

 _How could they create another soul sucking, terrifying, fucking-_

"Ms. Pruitt, you are still unfit for combat and will have to remain onboard the Home One to assist tactical."

"What?"

"Excuse me Ms. Pruitt? Did you not hear me?"

"I heard you just fine Sir, but I feel as if I am fit for duty."

"I'm sorry but that's a direct order from my superior officer. We have no time to question orders."

"But-"

"No time Ms. Pruitt. Now you all have your assignments, we begin departures in five minutes." Unram ended, running off to check the compartments.

Cassian turned to Jyn, his soldier's stoicism holding for now.

"I want to fight." Jyn said, gripping Cassian's arms.

"You will, here. " Cassian reassured her. He looked into Jyn's eyes and watched her purse her full lips into a tight line. After all this time together they were to be separated, but after recent events they had come to question their true purpose.

"If we can't fulfill our destiny, we must aid the rebellion." Jyn said to him, repeating their mantra of the past week. It was the only thing keeping them in line; having a goal to accomplish meant at least something. Jyn tilted her head down between them, squeezing her eyes shut to hold back the tears as Cassian kissed the top of her head. She felt the fear and anticipation of their last rebel mission to Scarif weighing down on her. No longer was she scared of losing her life, but losing Cassian.

The one minute alarm sounded, only increasing the lumps in their throats.

"Good luck." Cassian said, kissing her quickly and fiercely. He turned away, the warm body leaving a cold void. He looked back at her just before boarding his ship. _I love you_ he mouthed and Jyn replied the same.

….

"All craft, prepare to jump to hyperspace on my mark." Admiral Akbar's voice resounded throughout Home One and dozens of battle ready ships. Jyn listened intently from her station at tactical, an internal room on the massive MC80a star cruiser. Neon maps glowed on panes of glass before the crew, indicating the positions of all the rebel squadrons surrounding the ship.

"Now!" All ships jumped to hyperspace heading for Endor, the location of the newest Death Star. They arrived to a flurry of activity. Jyn's radar lit up with hundreds of red dots all surrounding the planet and the rebels.

"They're everywhere." She announced to the room, the superiors already informing the Admiral of the situation. Jyn watched as the Millennium Falcon's little blue dot headed for the giant space station with several others in tow.

"No! They were expecting us!" She cried just as Admiral Ackbar announced the same thing. The blue dot veered away carrying the others with it, including Cassian's ship the Nightshade. Jyn's could feel her heart beating hard and fast throughout her entire body. She knew she couldn't focus on one dot the entire time, she had a job to do.

 _Focus._

Jyn watched patterns of attack and notified her superiors if she could sense the directions of certain groups of imperial ships. It became remarkably hypnotic, seeing the ebb and flow of the war outside. The Force was showing her the way it intervened and released its power throughout the space above Endor. Above all there was a great power emanating from somewhere. Eventually she realized it was coming from the Death Star. A strong, raw power that echoed in and around everything. And it terrified her.

….

"Nightshade!" Captain Unram's voice blared through the comm.

"A little busy right now!" yelled back Captain Rel as he dodged a TIE Fighter's blast. "Oro, on your left!" Cassian turned the turret in time to fatally wound the next fighter.

"Got him!" Cassian cheered.

"You have orders to cover the ground troops from air attacks. It is imperative that they destroy the shield generator. Sending you coordinates now." Unram ordered.

"Aye Captain. We are en route."

The small ship exited the fray with alacrity, heading towards the green planet.

"What kind of opposition are we expecting here?" Cassian yelled from the turret.

"I believe they have a few ships guarding the air around the generator. Shouldn't be too difficult to tap them out." Rel reassured Cassian. They glided over the tall, dense trees, searching for any Empire ships on the horizon.

"I see gunfire down there!" Cassian said as the red blaster fire scattered throughout the surrounding forest of the Empire compound. "But there's no way we could get a clear shot on anyone."

"Not without the risk of hurting our own guys." Rel said, just as a TIE Fighter zoomed ahead, shooting at the battle.

"He doesn't seem to mind." Cassian said as he turned the turret to shoot the nuisance. Unfortunately none of them hit. The two ships swirled around above the trees, each trying to get a clear shot on the other.

"Direct hit!" Cassian yelled as the blaster fire hit the TIE Fighter square on. Smoke billowed up from the falling ship until it collapsed in a fiery explosion on the forest floor. Another TIE Fighter took its place almost immediately. This time it was the Nightshade that got hit. The blow nearly knocked Cassian out of his seat.

"SHIT!" Cassian yelled as the alarms started blaring. "Rel what's the damage?"

No answer.

"REL!" Another hit. Cassian climbed up to the cockpit as quickly as possible, only to realize that it no longer existed. The open air rushed in blowing the flames and smoke towards Cassian. The ship began to descend to the trees below. The ship was probably only fifty feet from the trees now. There was no time to conjecture about other choices, this was his only possibility of survival now.

And so he jumped.


	18. Endor

Chapter 18: Endor

Jyn stood up suddenly in the control room of the Home One, a nervous look on her pale face.

 _Something is wrong._

"Pruitt is something impeding you from completing your duties?" the commanding officer barked at her.

"No, no sir." She stuttered out. "We have incoming ships aimed at the Dock C." The commanding officer nodded and relayed the information to weapons.

 _I have to leave, I have to get to our ship._

Massive fire from incoming Imperial ships rocked the Home One, causing Jyn and those in tactical to brace themselves.

"The computer is offline, the machines are useless in here!" Shouted the soldier beside Jyn. "They must have hit the power for this part of the ship!" Yelled another.

"Alright everyone, we are going to transfer to tactical room 8H9! Go quickly!"

Jyn took this opportunity to run to the hangar where her and Cassian's Nabooan ship resided.

 _Something is wrong, something is wrong._ She thought over and over again as she took the ship out of the hangar and towards Naboo.

….

Cassian opened his eyes to green. Or was it brown? No, it was green, dark green. He could hear little high pitched noises intermittently, leading him to the conclusion that it was coming from a few small creatures surrounding him. Whatever they were, they were trying to pick him up and put him onto a stretcher.

"Hey-" Cassian squeaked out, realizing his lungs were not fully available yet. He remembered falling… hitting trees… landing on a platform of some sort? The creatures managed to get him onto the stretcher and he turned his head to see one for himself. The little body was only a few feet tall, covered in hair and completely adorable.

"Where am I?"

"Uhauh ohushqi" The creature replied.

"I don't-"

"Nubahusha!" He yelled, digging a sharp stick into Cassian's side.

"Ow!" Cassian reacted, trying to move and realizing that was not the best idea. _I've got to think of another plan…_

….

Jyn's ship landed in a small meadow, her heart beating so hard she could feel the thumping throughout her whole body. She dashed outside, running straight for the woods. She followed her instincts; The Force guiding her towards something violent. As she grew closer she could hear the loud bass that meant explosions where ahead, blaster fire coming close to being realized.

At last she saw it, the Empire bunker being attacked by little furry creatures only a few feet high. To Jyn's surprise several humans were trying to get inside, aided by two droids. A blast struck a tree next to her and she fell hard on the ground. Several speeders zoomed past her to join the fray, only to be knocked down by giant standing attack machine. The mele was chaotic, Jyn had to find some way to aid the other humans in the rebellion. She grabbed her blaster, heading behind a large rock where she could hit unsuspecting troops.

She hit several storm troopers, and at last the enemy was defeated. The humans rushed inside the bunker and Jyn waited behind the rock.

"Ewuaojo!" She heard behind her. Turning around, Jyn saw the little furry creature had a crossbow aimed directly at her. Slowly, she put her gun on the ground.

"I mean you no harm. I am looking for someone." She said earnestly.

"Myahanaoi," the creature replied, putting down his weapon. "Husha jojoi!"

The creature gestured in a certain direction and Jyn followed.

 _This is ridiculous._

They made there way to a tree where a rope ladder was lowered. Jyn followed the creature up to the canopies in hopes of finding Cassian. Something told her that she was not going in the wrong direction. Finally she reached the deck where several huts and bridges connected the community. It was intricate for such simple creatures, so perhaps they weren't so simple after all.

"Nu chuo. Haisai hu no ids." The creature said.

"Huh?" Jyn replied, just as they heard a massive explosion overhead.

The sound sent the creatures scrambling. Cheers erupted from the humans below. "Fuck you Death Star!"

"YES!" Jyn shouted and laughed, before remembering why she was really there. "Take me to the man!" She shouted at the little hairy being.

He quickly turned around rushing across a rope bridge to another platform.

"Baua no chisoo!" he said, before entering a small tent. Jyn followed and nearly fainted with joy. Cassian sat upright in the little bed before her.

"Jyn?"


End file.
